Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens. Photo by Tom Lawler.
One month ago I was on a warm, sunny, Caribbean beach. My primary wardrobe consisted of a variety of swimsuits, I completely eschewed shoes in favor of walking barefoot on the powdery sand and ate food so fresh it was literally picked or caught within sight of where I ate it. Soaking it all in, I intended to store up the experience so it could carry me through our cold, dreary winter. Guess what? It didn’t work. Not even a little.
Since it will clearly take a little more effort than I’d anticipated, I’ve complied this list of ideas within our fair neighborhood for overcoming cabin fever. Today’s ideas are all about getting out of the house. The next in this series will offer some ideas for when staying at home may be unavoidable. If your favorite tactic for battling winter isn’t here, please share it with us in the comments. I know I need all the help I can get.
Get Out
Sure its cold and the sun doesn’t stick around quite long enough but for me, staying active and social always helps combat the urge to give in to my flannel pj’s and hibernate until April. And if you haven’t noticed, there are still plenty of things going on to lure you out of the house.
Let’s start with an easy one: food. The last few months have yielded a handful of new restaurants, so why not make it a point to hit the ones you haven’t tried yet? On my list are Ba Bay on Penn and DC-3 on Barracks Row. Plus I’m almost ashamed to admit I haven’t yet been to Ethiopic or Tacos Impala, though I’m working on status as a regular at Smith Commons. Thinking more about your liquid diet? Be one of the first among your friends to check out the recently opened Church and State. Or take your home bartending skills up a notch — sign up for Wisdom’s January 26th Collins & Rickey class.
Our local theaters boast a wide variety of events and shows to keep you entertained until the first buds of spring.
Atlas: Gross National Product’s The Sound of Palin is around for another three weeks, DC Shorts is this weekend, and Intersections is right around the corner.
H Street Playhouse: their current show, Madcap Players’ Winter Carnival of New Works will appeal to the ADHD crowd, Touch will get you through February, and by the time you see The Weir, you’ll be enjoying the outdoor seating at Biergarten Haus.
Folger Theater: their wintertime show, The Comedy of Errors, is directed by award winner Aaron Posner; get even more from the show by hearing best-selling author Deborah Tannen’s take on some of its themes; you can also hear from three authors whose works have been adapted for the big screen; or welcome spring with Italian Renaissance melodies.
Black Box Theater at CHAW: Taffety Punk, which each fall brings us a Riot Grrrls all female production of a Shakespeare play, presents Owl Moon throughout February.
Let’s get you out of the house for more than just one night and exercise your creative side too. Now is the time to sign up for adult classes starting in February at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop. They offer everything from digital photography to pottery. You never know, you may find yourself going from Shower to Stage! Looking for other ways to cultivate your inner artist? The Fridge hosts the Albus Cavus Classroom every Sunday from 2-4pm.
All this wintertime comfort food have you looking for new ways to burn some calories? Results just released their winter schedule of classes with several new additions, such as Chair Play and Coyote Ugly. (I’ll let you draw your own conclusions.) If the winter doldrums have you looking for totally new exercise options, try out a b.fit barre class at Red Bow Studio, let Bikram Yoga Capitol Hill make you yearn for a blast of cold air, take the four-week yoga intro class starting this weekend at Capitol Hill Yoga, drop in on an intro jazz class at Joy of Motion, or conquer your fear of heights on the Trapeze School of New York’s flying trapeze at the Capitol Riverfront. Or, if you just need a little competition to get your energy up, Bikeshare members can still sign up for the Winter Weather Warrior contest and win great prizes during their random drawings.
Last, but not least, sometimes you just need some quiet time. Try guiding your reflections at St. Mark’s Insight Meditation Sangha each Monday and Thursday evening. If you’re the solitary type, explore a favorite outdoor space as its transformed by the winter weather. Places like Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens take on a whole different feel when silenced by snow and ice.
Sharee Lawler serves on the board of the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop.